Control device



Patented is; 12, 1943 UNITED CONTROL DEVICE Clarence Wantz, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Milwaukee Gas Specialty Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Original application November 10, 1938, Serial No. 239,790. Divided and this application February 23, 1942, Serial No. 432,054

I 4 Claims. (Cl. 137-144) This invention relates to a control device for heating and other apparatus, and has particular shutoff device.

The present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 239,790, filed November 10, 1938.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention has a controlling member in the form of a shutoff valve having an open position permitting the supply of fluid through a fluid supply conduittand a closed position shutting off the supply of fluid through the'conduit. There is also an armature and an electromagnet which cooperates with the armature. The electromagnet is effective, when energized, to Hold the armature in attracted position and the shutoff valve in open position, but

is ineffective to move. the armature to attracted position and the shutofi valve to open position. A reset stem is movable in a direction to reset the armature to attracted position and the shutoff valve to open position.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved form of flow interrupter or safety reset valve for shutting off or interrupting the supply of fluid through the conduit, and particularly thesupply of fuel to the main burner during the operation of resetting the armature to attracted position and the safety shutoff valve to open position.

The flow interrupter or safety reset valve is in the form of a sleeve or cup-shaped valve carried by the reset stem and slidable in the resetting movement of the reset stem to position covering a lateral opening to shut off the supply of fuel to the main burner. Upon movement of the reset stem in the opposite direction the safety reset valve moves to position uncovering the lateral opening, so that when the reset operation is completed and the safety shutoff valve is held in open position the supply of fuel to the main burner will be established.

The form of the safety reset valve of the present invention has particular utility in conjunction with the reset means for resetting the armarelation to an improved thermoelectric safety tion will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which the single figure is an axial section through a thermoelectric safety shutoff device embodying the present invention,

showing more or less diagrammatically the thermocouple or thermoelectric generator connected in circuit with the electromagnet of the device, a main burner, and a pilot burner for lighting the main burner and for heating the thermocouple.

Referring to the drawing, the burner I0 is any suitable or preferred main burner-by way of example, for an oven, or for a room heater or a water heater, or it maybe one of the main top burners of a gas range, or any other main burner.

ture to attracted position and the safety shutoff valve to open position in that it permits not only angular relation between the inlet and outlet of the device, but also permits continued resetting movement after the lateral opening is covered to shut off or interrupt the supply of fuel to the main burner, thereby assuring that the armature is reset to its proper position with respect to the eleotromagnet.

Further features and advantages of the inven- A pipe i l supplies gaseous or any other suitable fuel to the burner to, and disposed in juxtaposition to the burner i0 is a pilot burner I! which maintains a pilot light i3 for igniting the main burner. The pilot burner I2 is supplied with fuel by a tube It connected, for example, at IE, to the interior of the valve body 20, by way, for example, of a passage Hi. The tube It may, of course, be connected to the fuel supply pipe ll anterior of the valve body 20 within the scope of the present invention.

The thermoelectric control device, designated in its entirety at l8, comprises a valve body 20 having an inlet 2! and an outlet 2i for connection into the fuel supply pipe ii.

The lead connection cap and magnet and armature housing assembly is mounted upon the top of the valve body 20 as the same is viewed in the drawing, and, when in place, closes the upper end of the bore 23 therein. The lead connection can 24, which is preferably formed of Bakelite"-or any other suitable or preferred insulatingmaterial, may be of the external form more fully disclosed in the parent application, or of any other suitable or preferred form. It has at its inner end an integral cylindrical extension 25 which fits into a counterbore 26 at the outer end of the bore 23, and the cap 24 is fastened in place upon the outer end of the valve body 20, for example by cap screws (not shown), and preferably with,

wardly opening cup-shaped metal shell, is mounted on the shell 30, for example, by secure pressed fit engagement of its open outer end telescopically over the reduced inner end 33 of the shell 30. The inner end of the shell 34 is preferably reduced as shown.

The electromagnet comprises a generally U- shaped magnet frame 38 positioned within the shell 30 with its legs extending through openings in the inner end of this shell and presenting pole ends within the armature housing 34. The magnet frame 38 has a threaded stud 31 integral therewith or welded or otherwise rigidly joined thereto. This stud 31 extends into an opening or recess 38 in the top of the cap 24, and has threaded engagement with a nut member 39 for clamping the magnet frame rigidly and, at the same time, removably in place. The nut member 39 has a kerf 40 for engagement by a screw driver or other suitable tool, and a spring washer may be provided between the nut member 39 and the bottom of the recess 38 as indicated at 41.

Fixed rigidly in the cap 24, as, for example, by molding the insulating material of the cap thereto and extending endwise from the cap are a pair of spaced metallic terminal members 42 and 43 having aligned openings 44 and split outwardly of these openings as shown at 46. The coil 48 of the electromagnet surrounds the legs of the magnet frame 36, and the leads or ends of this coil extend out through the terminal members 42 and 43 and have their bared ends connected to the terminal members 42 and 43 at 41 and 48,

respectively, in a. manner to have good conducting contact therewith. The connections at 41 and 48 are shown disposed outside of the cap 24 and laterally of the openings for receiving the terminal means on the. thermocouple lead conductors. The coil 46 is preferably covered with insulation between its bared ends at 4!. Suit able insulation may be interposed between the turns of the coil 46 and the legs of the magnet frame 36, and between the inner end of the shell 30 and the adjacent end of the coil 46 as shown, by way of example, at SI and 52, respectively. V v

The armature 55 is-disposed in the armature housing 34 and is adapted to be held in attracted position against the pole lends of the magnet frame 36 upon energization of the electromagnet.

The armature 55 is ofdisc-like form and is secured to the outer end of a reciprocatory valve stem 51. The attachment of the armature to the valve stem 51 at 58 is preferably su'fliciently loose, as indicated at 59, to permit self-accommodation of the armature to the pole ends of the magnet frame by a generally universal movement of the armature upon the outer end of the valve stem. The stem 51 is disposed generally concentrically with respect to the armature housing 34 and extends inwardly for reciprocating movement through an opening 60 in the inner end of the housing 34.

The valve member 62 is fixed by a pin 63 upon the inner end of the valve stem 51 preferably for some relative movement thereon so as to have self-accommodating seating engagement with the cooperating valve seat 64 at the outer end of the valve seat member 65. Packing 68, of felt or other suitable or preferred material, is interposed between the bottom of the armature housing 34 and a metal valve spring seating disc 69. The valve spring 10 is in the form of a coiled compression spring interposed between the valve resiliently moves the armature to retracted.

position and the valve member 62 into seating engagement with the valve seat 64 to shut off the flow of fuel to the outlet 22 and thereby to the main burner when the electromagnet is deenergized.

The disc 69 seats inwardly upon a shoulder 12 in the bore 23, and the action of the spring 10 tends to compress the packing 68 and maintain same in sealing engagement with the bore 23 and with the valve stem 61 to seal the interior of the armature housing 34 from the gaseous or other fuel which passes through the valve body, and to seal the valve body against the escape of fuel out around the cap and magnet and armature housing assembly. The device is further sealed against the escape of fuel by the gasket or washer 28.

From the foregoing description it will now be apparent that the armature housing 34 is de tachable from the magnet housing 30 to permit access to the armature 55 and to the pole ends of the magnet frame 36. The magnet housing 30 may also be adapted for detachment from the- J. Leins Patent No. 2,126,564, granted August 9,

1938, It comprises an outer tubular metallic thermocouple member 16 and an inner metallic thermocouple member 11 disposed within the outer thermocouple member and joined at one end to the end of the outer thermocouple member to form the thermojunction 18 which is placed in position to be heated by the pilot light l3. An inner lead conductor 19 is joined to the inner thermocouple member to form an internal thermojunction 80, and an outer tubular lead conductor 81 is connected to the outer thermocouple member through a sleeve 8| to form a third thermoiunction 32. ductor 8i encloses the inner lead conductor and, with the outer thermocouple member, constitutes an enclosure about the inner thermocouple member and the inner lead conductor and the inner thermocouple junction 80. The inner lead conductor 19 is insulated from the outer lead conductor by a wrapping of insulation on the inner lead conductor as indicated at 84.

The inner'and outer lead conductors 13 and 8| are preferably of a character which will per- .sired position, although supporting brackets or other means may be employed for supporting the thermocouple and lead connection. At the opposite end the inner lead conductor 19 extends from the outer lead conductor 81 and has a metallic terminal sleeve'88 fixed thereon in good conductive contact therewith and spaced from the end of the outer lead conductor 81. An insulating sleeve 81 is interposed between the terminal sleeve 86 and the adjacent end of the outer lead conductor 8 l A quick detachable connection is thus provided between the thermocouple leads and the terminals-42 and '13 for the electromagnet coil 45. The thermocouple is connected to the terminals 42 The outer lead con-- mocouple lead means through the opening 44 in one terminal member 43 and into the opening 44 by loosening the screws 66 and withdrawing the terminal end of the thermocouple leads from the terminal members 42 and 43.

The quick detachable connection permits the thermocouple with its leads to be detached from the control device in shipment. At the same time the thermocouple may be connected to the control device expeditiously, and, when connected, good conductive contact is assured. This is important where the electromotive force is a' rela- .tively weak thermoelectromotive force such as that produced by the heat of the pilot light I3 on the thermojunction 18 of the thermocouple.

The heat of the pilot light I3 upon the thermocouple is suflicient to hold the armature 55 in attracted position and the valve member 62 in open position, as shown, when the armature is engaged with the pole ends of the magnet frame, but this thermoelectric current'is not capable of moving the armature to attracted position and the valve member 62 to open position. In order, therefor, to provide for opening'the valve member 62 and for setting the armatureto attracted position upon the initial operation of the device and to reset the device after the same closes to shut off the fuel supply when the pilot light is extinguished, reset means is provided. This reset means comprises a reset stem 95 coaxial with the valve 62 and extending through the lower end of the valve housing 26.

Fixed upon the stem 95 for reciprocatory movement therewith is a reset member 61 which has abutting engagement at 98 with a reset spring cup 99. The reset spring cup '86 has its cylindrical side wall elongated to slide over the inner end of the outlet 22 to shut oil? or interrupt the flow of fuel to the main burner connected to the outlet 22 during the resetting operation. A coiled reset spring I66 is interposed between a shoulder on the valve seat member 65 and the spring cup 89. The spring cup 89 isprovidec with a vent opening I68, and the reset member 91 has a conical valve part-I69 which seats upon a shoulder H6 in the valve body and seals the opening III through which the mits continued inward movement of the reset stem to assure proper positioning of the arms.- ture against the pole ends of the magnet frame.

And with the arrangement shown and described,

I this is permitted without providing for relative movement between the flow interrupter valve member and the reset stem.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the pilot light I8 is burning, the heat thereof upon the thermoju'nction I6 produces a thermoelectric current in the coil 46. The magnet frame 36 and armature 6| are preferably,

formed of an alloy of relatively low magnetic reluctance and, as a result, the. relatively weak electromotive force produces a magnetic field of sufllcient strength so that when the armature 55 is placed in contact with the pole ends of the magnet frame by inward movement .of the reset stem 96 the magnetic attraction holds the armature in attracted position against the magnet frame with a force greater than the force exerted by the spring 16, thereby holding the valve 62 in open position as long as the pilot flame is burning.

If thepilot flame is extinguished, the holding action of the electromagnet ceases to be sumcient to hold the armature 55 in attracted position and the valve 62 in open position, and th spring III moves the valve 62 to closed position and the armature to retracted position. Where the device is installed vertically as shown, the spring is aided by gravity in closing the valve, but the spring is preferably of sumcient tension to close the valve without the aid of gravity, so that the device may be,instal1ed in any desired position. The spring I6 also assures detachment of the armature 55 from the electromagnet upon dermergizsation of the electromagnet and notwithstandin to the main humor.

stem 95 extends when the parts are positioned as The sliding movement of the combined spring I When it is desired to reset the device, the lever- I26 is swung in a clockwise direction about its pivot I25, moving the reset stem 65 inwardly. This inward movement of the reset stem 65 moves the reset spring cup and flow interrupter valve 66 inwardly bythe cooperation of the reset member 61 therewith. The inward movement of the member 69 is against the tension of the spring I66, an'das the cylindrical side wall of the member 69 slides to position coveringthe outlet 22 the flow of fuel to the main burner is shut off or interrupted. Continued inward movement of the reset stem 61 with the cylindrical wall of the member 99 continuing to cover and close the outlet 22, brings the inner end of the reset stem into contact with the valve member 62 and moves this valve member and the'valve stem 61 and armature 66 outwardly until the armature 66 comes into contact with the pole ends of the magnet frame 36, or is brought into attracted position and the valve member 62 is positioned in open position as shown.

In resetting the device the valve member shuts off the outlet 22 against the passage of fuel t-herethrough while the valve 62 isin open position during the resetting operation, and, at the same time, fuel is free to pass through the pilot cup and flow interrupter valve member 99 in the bore within which it is slidable after the outlet 22 is closed to shut oil the supply of fuel to the main burner during the resetting operation perthe device.

burner connection I2I, I5 to the pilot burner upon; opening the valve member 62 in resettin the resetting operation, fuel passes out through the pilot port connection I5 to the pilot burner so that the pilot burner may be ignited to set up the thermoelectric current for energizing the electro- As the valve member 62 is opened in It the pilot burner n is lighted and sets up a thermoelectric current to hold the armature in attracted position the valve 62 will remain open, and when the resetting stem or actuating link I21 is released the spring I06 returns the reset stem to its outwardly projected position and the flow interrupter valve member 98 to open position, whereupon the desiredsupply of fuel is set up to the burner 10 for ignition b'y'the pilot light 13.

If, on the other hand, the pilot burner is not lighted to produce the thermoelectric current for holding the valve 82 open, this valve will move to closed position upon release of the reset stem 95 or actuating link therefor. In this manner the device prevents the passage of fuel through the outlet 22 to the main burner until the pilot burner is lighted and a thermoelectric current set up to hold the armature in attracted position.

I do not intend to be limited to the precise details shown or described.

I claim: U y

1. In a device of the class described, a valve. body having a bore provided with an opening disposed laterally thereof, said valve body having a second opening, said openings constituting an inlet and an outlet, a safety shutoff valve having an open position placing the inlet in communication with the outlet and a closed position shutting on communication between said inlet and said outlet,

cylindrical wall slidable in said bore with the resetting movement of said reset stem throughout the resetting movement of the latter to position covering said lateral opening for shutting oil communication between the inlet and the outlet during the resetting operation, the sliding movement of the generally cylindrical wall of said safety reset valve in the bore in said valve body permitting continued resetting movement of the reset stem after the lateral opening is covered by the wall of said valve to assure proper seating of said armature against said magnet frame.

3. In a device of the class described, a valve body having a bore provided with an opening disposed laterally thereof, said valve body having a second opening, said opening constituting an inlet and an outlet, a valv seat member mounted in said valve body between said inlet and said outlet, a safety shutoff valve having an open position placing the inlet in communication with the outlet and a closed position engaging said valve seat member for shutting on communication between said inlet and said outlet, an armature, said valve being connected to said armature for movement therewith and to be held in open posltion thereby, an electromagnet comprising a magnet frame cooperable with said armature, said electromagnet being effective, when energized, to hold said armature in attracted position and said valve in open position but ineffective to move said armature to attracted position and said valve to an armature, said valve being connected to said armature for movement therewith and to be held in open position thereby, an electromagnet comprising a magnet frame cooperable. with said armature, said electromagnet being efiective when energized to hold said armature in attracted position and said valve in open position but ineffective to move said armature to attracted position and said valve to open position, a reset stem movable in a direction for resetting said armature to attracted position and said valve to open position, and a safety reset valve having a generally cylindrical wall slidable in said bore with the resetting movement of said reset stem throughout the resetting movement of the latter to position covering said lateral opening for shutting off communication between the inlet and outlet during the resetting operation, the sliding movement of said safety reset valve in said bore permitting continued resetting movement of said reset stem to assure proper seating of said armature against said magnet frame after said safety reset valve is positioned to shut on communication between the inlet and the outlet.

2. In a device of the class described, a valve body having a bore provided with an opening disposed laterally thereof, said valve body having a second opening, said openings constituting an inlet and an outlet, a safety shutoff valve having an open position placing the inlet in communication with 'the outlet and a closed position shutting off communication between said inlet and said outlet, an armature, said valve being connected to said armature for movement therewith and to be held in open position thereby, an electromagnet comprising a magnet frame cooperable with said armature, said electromagnet being effectlv e, when energized, to hold said armature in attracteu position and said valve in open position but inenective to move said armature to attracted position and said valve to open position, a reset stem movable in a direction for resetting said armature to attracted position and said valve to open poopen position, a reset stem movable inwardly for resetting said armature to attracted position and said valve to open position, a safety reset member having abutting engagement with said reset member and provided with a cylindrical wall slidable in said bore with the resetting movement of said reset stem throughout the resetting movement of the latter to position covering said lateral opening for shutting off communication between the inlet and the outlet during the resetting operation, and -a spring interposed between said valve seat member andsaid safety reset valve for moving said safety reset valve to position uncovering said lateral opening and said reset stem to its outer position, the sliding movement of the cylindrical wall of said reset member in said bore permitting continued resetting movement f said reset stem to assure proper seating of said armature against said magnet frame after the cylindrical wall of said safety reset member is positioned to shut off communication between the inlet and the outlet.

4. In a device of the class described, a valve body having a bore provided with an opening disposed laterally thereof, said valve body having a with the outlet and a closedposition shutting on communication between said inlet and said outlet, an armature, said valve being connected to said armature for movement therewith and to be held in open position thereby, an electromagnet comprising a magnet frame cooperable with said armature, said electromagnet being effective, when energized, to hold said armature in attracted position and said valve in open position but ineffective to move said armature to attracted position and said valveto open position, a reset stem, a reset member fixed on said reset stem, 2. safety reset valve having a cylindrical wall slidable in said bore by cooperation of said reset member with the safety reset valve in the resetting mnflnvvhsnt .\F the runot qfvrn l.lll'(lll2h()lll. the TB- setting movement of the latter. and to position covering said lateral opening for shutting ofl.

communication between the inlet and the outlet during the resetting operation, the sliding movement of said safety reset valve in said bore permitting continued resetting movement of said reset stem to assure proper seating of said armature against said magnet frame after said safety reset valve is positioned to shut on communication between the inlet and outlet, and a valve member on said reset member and oooperable with the valve body to prevent leakage from the valve body along the reset stem in the outer position of said stem.

} CLARENCE WANTZ.

- CERTIFICATE OF common, Patent No. 2,307,871, January 12, 151+ 1 cmnxxcx wmrz.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed apecjificetion .of the ebove numbered patent requiring correction as follows Page 14., sevond column, line 16, claim 5, fair "opening" read -openin'ge-; line 57, claim 11., for "openings" first occurrenem read --opening--; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may eonfom to the I ecord of the casein the Patent Office.

Signed and aealed an; 9th aw of March, A. 1). 191+ V Henry van Arsdele, (Seal) Acting Commissioneref Patents. 

